Think Like A Game Designer

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Tim Ferriss — Designing Coyote, Playing to Learn, Publishing Truths, and Saying "No" (#89)

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Aug 7, 2025

Guest

Tim Ferriss

Tim Ferriss, author of five New York Times bestsellers and host of a leading podcast, shares insights into his journey from writing to game design. He discusses the complexities of launching Coyote, the significance of playtesting, and the importance of storytelling in gaming. Tim emphasizes the power of passion and intuition when creating, alongside navigating the challenges of the publishing industry. He also explores how he balances creativity with market demands, highlighting the need for adaptability and strategic thinking in both game and book success.

02:30:56

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ANECDOTE

Dungeons & Dragons Sparked Creativity

Tim Ferriss says Dungeons & Dragons gave him a critical creative outlet and social bond.
He still owns his original D&D books and dice as foundational artifacts.

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ADVICE

Leverage Passion To Become A Category Of One

Expand the scope where your passion gives you stamina or unique advantage.
Use that category-of-one edge to outwork and outlast competitors in noisy markets.

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ADVICE

Use Ridiculous Deadlines As A Forcing Function

Apply absurd deadlines as forcing functions to cut optional work.
Tim used a 12-week 'gun to the head' question to reveal the essential path forward.

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Nostalgia and Evolution in Game Design

03:03 • 14min

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The Power of Passion in Game Design

17:00 • 29min

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The Iterative Journey of Game Design

46:28 • 19min

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Listening to Your Intuition

01:05:26 • 24min

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Navigating Game Design and Retail Challenges

01:29:20 • 26min

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Navigating the Book Publishing Landscape

01:55:17 • 6min

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Navigating the Complexities of Publishing Contracts and Profit Sharing

02:01:43 • 4min

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Strategic Insights into Successful Book Launches

02:06:10 • 4min

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Navigating Publishing and Embracing Uncertainty

Crafting Stories and Games

02:23:48 • 7min

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#388

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Seth Godin

In 'This Is Marketing', Seth Godin presents a transformative view of marketing as a generous act of helping others solve problems. The book focuses on key principles such as targeting the smallest viable market, delivering anticipated, personal, and relevant messages, and building trust through permission marketing. Godin argues that effective marketing is about creating positive change and helping people become who they want to be. He provides actionable insights, case studies, and a strategic focus on storytelling, tension, and customer-centric approaches. The book is designed for entrepreneurs, small business owners, freelancers, and marketers looking to reframe their marketing strategies and connect meaningfully with their audiences.

#328

• Mentioned in 68 episodes

Tools of Titans

The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers

Tools of Titans is a comprehensive guide to achieving peak performance and personal transformation. The book is divided into three main sections: Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise. It features insights and strategies from over 200 interviews with successful individuals such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ariana Huffington, and many others. Ferriss highlights common patterns among these high achievers, including daily meditation, disciplined routines, and the ability to turn weaknesses into strengths. The book is designed to be a resource for continuous learning and improvement, providing actionable advice and tools for readers to enhance their health, wealth, and wisdom.

#437

• Mentioned in 55 episodes

The 4-Hour Chef

The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life

Tim Ferriss

In 'The 4-Hour Chef', Tim Ferriss uses cooking as a vehicle to teach 'meta-learning', a step-by-step process for mastering any skill quickly. The book is divided into five sections: Meta-Learning, The Domestic, The Wild, The Scientist, and The Professional. It includes tips and stories from world-class chefs, athletes, and other experts, and focuses on overcoming common obstacles in learning and cooking. The book aims to make readers self-sufficient in the kitchen and in life, applying principles of failure points and margin of safety to ensure success.

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• Mentioned in 373 episodes

The 4 Hour Workweek

Tim Ferriss

In 'The 4-Hour Workweek', Timothy Ferriss presents a step-by-step guide to 'lifestyle design', encouraging readers to question the traditional notion of retirement and instead create a lifestyle that prioritizes freedom, adventure, and personal growth. The book teaches how to outsource life tasks, automate income, and eliminate unnecessary work using principles like the 80/20 rule and Parkinson’s Law. Ferriss shares his personal journey from a corporate workaholic to a location-independent entrepreneur and provides practical tips and case studies to help readers achieve similar results. The book emphasizes the importance of focusing on high-value activities, taking 'mini-retirements', and living life to the fullest in the present rather than deferring enjoyment until retirement.

• Mentioned in 1,097 episodes

Atomic Habits

James Clear

Atomic Habits by James Clear provides a practical and scientifically-backed guide to forming good habits and breaking bad ones. The book introduces the Four Laws of Behavior Change: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying. It also emphasizes the importance of small, incremental changes (atomic habits) that compound over time to produce significant results. Clear discusses techniques such as habit stacking, optimizing the environment to support desired habits, and focusing on continuous improvement rather than goal fixation. The book is filled with actionable strategies, real-life examples, and stories from various fields, making it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to improve their habits and achieve personal growth.

#12

• Mentioned in 373 episodes

The 4 Hour Workweek

Tim Ferriss

#7313

• Mentioned in 6 episodes

Think Like a Game Designer

Justin Gary

About Tim Ferriss

Tim Ferriss is a category of one. His innovative approach to life and business has helped him to launch 5 New York Times Bestellers, build one of the most influential podcasts in the world with over one billion downloads, become an early stage investor in companies like Uber, Facebook, Shopify, Duolingo and more. His #1 New York Times Bestselling Book, The 4-Hour Work Week, was part of the inspiration for me to quit my job and start my own company (you can here more of that story in my appearance on Tim’s podcast here). And now he has taken all of those skills and brought them to game design with the release of Coyote. We dive deep on all of these topics and learn how Tim selects and approaches each new arena he seeks to conquer. Tim deliver’s on many insights that will apply to you regardless of your creative field.

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